A Percentage of Infinity - Part 1
by Papergirl
Summary: It's 2021 and Eleanor Hobson is trying to learn about the man her father was. I know it sounds lame, but it's not.
1. 01 A Percentage of Infinity chapter 1

Hi! This is a little story that I am enjoying a lot, even though it seems to have taken on a mind of its own. It takes place in a universe I created using characters from my fave show - Early Edition- in the year 2021. So pop some popcorn, grab a drink, and enjoy!

A Percentage of Infinity

Part 1

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A wish changes nothing. A decision changes everything." - Anonymous

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Chapter 1

"Happy birthday dear Eleanor, happy birthday to you." A cheer rose up at the conclusion of the song and the birthday girl smiled.

"Thanks, guys." "Hey, save the thanks for later and blow out the candles," Nathan instructed.

"Yes, sir," Eleanor replied with a mock salute.

"And don't forget to make a wish!" Bonnie chimed.

That made Eleanor stop. She hadn't thought about it before, but this wish could turn her life around. Sure, it would be silly to wish her mother was better and the past ten months hadn't happened. And of course it was silly to wish that her father was still alive or that she could've known him better. Instead, Ellie could wish for enough money to finish college, or that her job meant more to her, or that she had a better personal life. She could wish for something to help pull her out of the dark pit of depression that she was teetering closer to every day. But she knew those would be wasted wishes.

Ellie closed her eyes, deep in contemplation. It wasn't a waste of a wish to ask if she could know what kind of man her father was. Not a waste at all. Maybe that would help fill the growing void in her empty life. She inhaled with certainty and blew out all the candles.

Everyone clapped and cheered, but Eleanor only sighed. Wishes never came true - she should've known that by now. She zoned out as Julian cut the cake. How could she have acted so childishly? Just the mere thought of making a wish was absurd, much less expecting it to come true. She was nineteen now, not nine.

Still, as she started to nibble at her slice of angel food cake, Eleanor couldn't help but hope that her wish would come true.

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"The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning." - Ivy Baker Priest

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It was the call Eleanor Travis never wanted to get, least of all at 10:30 at night on her birthday.

It didn't sink in right away. She heard Dr. Jordan's words, and responded to them, but their actual meaning was lost to her. When she hung up Nathan, Bonnie, and Julian were right by her side. They had stayed to help clean up after the party. With one look they knew, and gave her a huge hug. They were crying; Ellie's eyes were dry.

It still hadn't sunk in when Eleanor stood in a black dress at the funeral, watching the casket being lowered into the dewy ground. Even a week later, when she sat on the grave rereading the inscription, Eleanor did not feel like her mother had just died.

Maybe it was because she had already accepted that she was an orphan. After The Accident ten months earlier, Eleanor had known she had lost her second parent. The semi-comatose state her mother had been existing in was not a form of living, even if the beeping machines proved otherwise.

She had already mourned for her mother, so when her death finally sank in a week and a half afterward, Ellie wasn't too sad. She had been very close to her mother and loved her with all her heart. She did not regret a single moment she had spent with her; she only wished she had more time.

Time. Time was something Eleanor always got shortchanged on. She had only known her father for four years when she developed cancer and was sent away with her mother. In the hospital in New York, Ellie fought her toughest battle against the deadly disease with only her mother by her side. Her father had stayed in Chicago to work so he could pay for the treatments. It took over a year, but she beat the cancer. On her triumphant flight home in the Windy City with her mother, Eleanor got a strange feeling in her stomach as they landed. Hours later she discovered what it was: her father had died.

She was five and a half when he was buried. By the time she was seven she had very few memories of him; by age ten her mother had remarried, they lived in New York, and every memory Eleanor had of her father had disappeared.

When Simon Travis left on their third anniversary, Katherine and Eleanor were left to fend for themselves. They moved back to Chicago and made some good friends. Not long after their arrival both were hired as a secretary and errand-and-research girl, respectively, at Peters, Nicol, & Weissman law firm. It was there that Ellie finally felt like she belonged. Everyone at the firm loved her, and even though they were at least a decade older than her, Eleanor was best friends with them all.

Bonnie Weissman, Nathan Peters, and Julian Nicol were thrilled when Eleanor told them she wanted to be a lawyer. They all pitched in to help raise enough money to put her through law school. The crew at Peters, Nicol, & Weissman was a tight bunch, and it hurt them all when The Accident occurred.

The car was so twisted that in order to remove her, Katherine's legs had to be amputated. It didn't seem to matter, though, because she had slipped into a coma and despite Eleanor's prayers had never come out of it.

There were no words to describe the loneliness Ellie felt at that hospital. Despite her friends and the caring hospital staff, the hole inside of her grew.

After her mother's death, Eleanor didn't know what to do. She existed a whole month in a daze- like the Pink Floyd song she was "comfortably numb". She was absolutely lost without a mother's guiding light, and her friends were worried she would never snap out of it.

One morning, Ellie woke up with a strong urge to find out exactly who her father was. She remembered nothing about him, and she and Katherine never discussed him. She spent the whole day sifting through her mother's belongings, but found very little about him. All she knew was a name - Gary Hobson- and a place - McGinty's Bar and Grill on Illinois and Franklin.

Consumed with her new quest, Eleanor decided to go to McGinty's in the off chance that someone was still there who knew her father. Nathan understood her need to go more than the others, being an orphan himself, and he offered to drive and help her find the place.

Eleanor pleaded with him and they set off the very next afternoon. She had butterflies in her stomach, but she was determined to discover the man Gary Hobson had been.

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"The influence of each human being on others in this life is a kind of immortality." - John Quincy Adams 

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Chapter 2

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Nathan asked quietly as Eleanor opened the car door.

"Yes," she answered firmly, but he could detect the uncertainty in her voice.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"

Ellie gulped, staring at the glowing McGinty's sign before turning back around to her friend.

"Yes, I'm sure. Thanks for the ride, Nate, but this is something I have to do by myself." He nodded with understanding and smiled reassuringly. "Give me a call when you need a ride."

"Will do," and with that, she turned and walked into the restaurant.

It was a cozy building, and Eleanor instantly loved the atmosphere. It wasn't too crowded - just what was left of the afternoon rush. She quickly found an empty booth and took a deep breath, enjoying the scent of peanuts, buffalo wings, and beer. As she sat, a panic began to set in. "What am I doing?" a voice inside her screamed. She was losing her nerve, and fast. Ellie started to stand, but someone was approaching her. "Sorry it took so long, doll. Can I get you something to drink?" Eleanor slowly sat back down and stared at the table.

"Water would be good," she mumbled.

"Pardon?" he asked. She didn't answer, and he noticed wet spots on the table. "Are you okay, doll?"

"No... yes... I don't know," she sniffed. The man's eyebrows raised and he slid into the booth across from her.

"My name's Chuck. What's yours?"

"Eleanor," she said, wiping her eyes.

"And what's wrong, Eleanor?" She studied her hands. He *seemed* nice enough, and he sounded caring, and... oh what the hell. She might as well tell him.

"My father died when I was five, and I don't remember him at all. My mother recently passed away, and I've been lost. I looked through her stuff for information about my dad, but all I found was a name and an address. So, I came here, but... I don't even know what I'm looking for."

Chuck nodded with understanding.

"Sometimes you find the best things when you don't know what you're looking for," he said philosophically. "Or the best things find you."

Ellie wasn't quite sure what to say.

"I know things must look pretty dreary now, but you never know what tomorrow will bring, do you?"

She smiled slightly. "I guess you're right. I just - I don't even know where to start."

Chuck nodded with understanding. "Well, I've run this place for many years, so if you tell me your dad's name, chances are I'll know him."

Eleanor nodded and sniffed. "Gary Hobson."

All color drained from Chuck's face. He was silent and still, and Eleanor looked up at him, confused.

"Are you o-"

"You're Eleanor Zeke Hobson?" he croaked. Her eyebrows raised at the mention of her old name. She couldn't tell if he was asking or stating, but she nodded the affirmative anyway.

His face suddenly lit up. "I can't believe it! Honey, I'm your godfather! I'm Chuck Fishman!"

Now it was Eleanor's turn to pale. "No way," she whispered.

Chuck leapt up and grabbed her hand. "I thought you looked familiar! C'mon. No one's gonna believe this!" he bubbled, leading her past the bar into an office.

There were three people in the room. A blonde woman with glasses sat at a desk with papers and opened books spread out in front of her. Across the desk from her a slightly balding black man sat in a stuffed leather chair. He was massaging the shoulders of a black woman sitting on the floor in front of him. The black woman was petting a dog that sat in her lap.

"Marissa, Kyle, Jade - look who I met!"

Eleanor stood self-consciously as their attention turned to her. She smiled weakly under their scrutiny. "I'm afraid I don't recognize her, Chuck dear," the blonde said with a slight Australian accent.

"Who is it, Chuck?" the black woman asked. It took Eleanor a moment to realize she was blind.

"This is Eleanor Zeke Hobson - Gary's daughter."

Their reactions were similar to Chuck's, albeit shorter in length. "Ellie, is that really you? I'm Marissa - remember me?" The blind woman moved the dog off her lap and stood. She approached Eleanor with her hand out and the younger woman shook it slowly, still a bit dazed. The blonde woman stood and offered her the chair.

"Sit, my dear. You look a bit bewildered."

Ellie sank into the chair and rubbed her eyes. She couldn't believe this was happening. Names poked at her memory and she tried desperately to grasp at them. "Wait a minute," she took a deep breath. "Okay. You're Chuck Fishman," she pointed at the grinning man she had met earlier. "And that means you're... Jane, no, no... Jade Fishman, right?"

The blonde nodded, flashing her an encouraging smile.

"And, so y-you're Marissa...Clark, right?"

"Well, I used to be. I'm married now -Marissa Webster. This is my husband, Kyle," The black man, who had remained silent during the whole exchange up to that point, stood and smiled, offering his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Eleanor."

She nodded at his baritone greeting.

"Oh gosh.... I don't remember any of you. I feel so bad," she moaned. Chuck laughed. He and Jade took a seat on the couch, and Marissa and Kyle returned to their earlier position. "Don't feel bad, doll. You were what - four?" Eleanor nodded. She could feel some of her walls crumbling.

"I can't believe this! It is too incredible," she gushed, spinning around in the chair before looking up at them. "How have you all been?" All four looked at each other and shared a smile.

"Well, we've been great, considering. What about you? We haven't seen you since you were this tall," Jade said, motioning with her hand.

Ellie smiled, her first real genuine smile in months.

"I've been alright. Uh, gee, I don't know where to start. Um, Mom and I moved back to New York, as you all know, and... well, she met Simon Travis. He gave her a job, and he was rich and nice and she was worried about me. She was so sad before she met him, and I guess she still stayed sad, but anyway, they got married in 2012, and he left us on their third anniversary. We moved back to Chicago and both got jobs at a law firm. My mom was in a car accident about a year ago. She slipped into a coma and passed away September 27th, on my birthday. I've been living in our one-bedroom apartment, and my friends at the law firm have offered to pay for my college and law school tuition. I got lucky with that, I guess," she took a breath. "That's pretty much it. I was totally out of it after my mom died, and then yesterday I woke up with this... urge to find out more about my father, I don't know... and that's why I'm here. What about you guys?"

Eleanor looked around at everyone.

"Wow," was all they could say. None of them had imagined such a hard life for Gary's darling daughter. Chuck cleared his throat.

"Well, Eleanor-"

"Ellie. I mean, all my friends call me Ellie, and..."

Chuck grinned.

"Gotcha, Ellie. Let's see... I met Jade and we married in 2000. Shortly after that," he gulped. "G-Gary met your mother. From what I remember it was love at first sight, but Marissa can probably tell you more about that cuz Jade and I were in L.A.. I know when we came to visit for Christmas that your parents told us about the engagement," he smiled, staring off into the past. "We were all so happy then. Jade was pregnant, I had just gotten a *huge* television deal, your parents were so in love... it was a great time. Uh, March 14, 2001, our son Blake was born. In August that year, as I'm sure you know, Gary and Katherine tied the knot. We flew in for the wedding - you wouldn't believe how hot and muggy it was here!" Jade and Marissa laughed with Chuck at the memory. Eleanor found herself smiling along with Kyle. "Yeah, so the two lovebirds went to Hawaii for a week, and Jade, Blake, and I stayed here to, uh," he glanced uncertainly at the others before continuing. "Help with the work. Your dad and Marissa owned the bar, you know. Uh, after we returned to L.A., I didn't really talk to Gary much. You know how it is, we both had our separate lives. We did manage to come here a few months after you were born. You were a *cute* baby. Ah, your parents were sooo proud of you. Gosh, I'd never seen Gare so happy. We parted again, and talked with the occasional phone call. Our lives got even busier though. Jade had our second child -Amber - in 2005. Time got away from us and I didn't see Gary again until I came to Chicago for a business trip in, uh, 2006. I was here for two weeks, and, um, do you remember what all happened that year?"

Ellie sighed. "Not much. I was always afraid to talk about it with my mom; it made her so sad, and I didn't want to upset her."

The others nodded, and Chuck continued his narrative. "Well, when you were four you started getting very sick. Your parents were so worried - they took you to a bunch of doctors and after a billion tests they were told that you had cancer. Gary and Katherine were absolutely devastated. Your dad was especially hard on himself... The doctors suggested an experimental procedure at a hospital in New York. Gary had to stay behind and, uh, run things, so your mother took you. I arrived the day before you left. You looked so fragile and pale, and neither of your parents had been able to sleep since you were diagnosed. Your father didn't, uh, cry a lot during his lifetime, but when he had to let you go at the airport... I've never seen a sadder man. That was a dark time in our lives. I tried to help him through it while I was here - both Marissa and I did, but it was ultimately his situation to deal with. I know he racked up a *gigantic* phone bill talking to you and your mother everyday. It ate him alive that he couldn't see you. I was worried about him, and when I went back to California, I called him a lot. In January, Jade had our second son, Austin, and his birth helped bring me out of my gloom. After a while your father got better, too, and was almost back to his usual self. One morning I got a call - all there was on the other end was this loud, joyous screaming. I knew it was Gary, and that's when I knew you had beaten it. Let's see... I got that phone call Tuesday morning. Your flight was scheduled for Wednesday night. Gary was going to pick you up at the airport and everything - he was so excited; he told me he was going to be there, like, three hours before your flight arrived. He told me all about the roomful of toys and dolls and stuffed animals he had bought you while you were in the Big Apple. I talked to him almost constantly Tuesday and Wednesday. Gary was like my brother, and I was sooo happy for him." Chuck stopped, and cleared his throat. Ellie swallowed hard, knowing what was coming.

"And, uh, I got a call at 5:30 Pacific Time, 7:30 here. It was Marissa."

He had to stop again, and Jade reached over and squeezed his hand. Marissa wiped a tear from her eye.

"Anyway, Jade, Blake, Amber, and I flew in the next morning. Everyone was upset, no one could believe this had happened. Your mother was absolutely devastated, even more so than Bernie and Lois - Gary's parents. He was their only child, but your mother, she barely made it through the, uh, ceremony. She loved him so, so much. It was... beyond words. I believe they're soul mates. She couldn't handle it, after just beating cancer with her daughter, and not seeing him for a year... Marissa, Bernie, Lois, and I handled all of the details and Jade watched over the kids and Katherine. So many people came to your father's, ah, funeral. So, so many. It was amazing, truly amazing. The next day, your mother packed some necessary things, gave the rest to us, said her goodbyes, and booked you two on a flight back to New York. I didn't blame her - it was too tough for her to live with the memories here. Marissa and I were left the bar in Gary's will, so I sold my production company and Jade and I moved the family to Chicago. We boxed up some of Gary's stuff, but it was too hard... so we just put tarps and blankets over everything and left it how it was." "But, where did he live? Where is everything now?"

Chuck smiled ruefully. "Gary lived in the loft upstairs, Everything's up there - I'll take you up to see it later."

Ellie nodded and waited for Chuck to continue. "So, life started a new routine. Marissa went to her high school reunion in 2008 and fell in love again with her high school sweetheart - they were married the same year, but they can fill in the details. In 2010 Jade and I had our fourth child and we, uh, named him Gary. The next year Marissa had her twins - Prescott and Lucius. And well, that's about it."

Eleanor only blinked, stunned by the story. She longed to meet her father now, even more than before. "Now, we better get back to work before the dinner crowd comes in. You live in Chicago, right?" Ellie nodded.

"Good, then. C'mon upstairs, I'll show you Gary's apartment."

Chuck went to the door and waited while Eleanor said her goodbyes and thank-yous. She followed him through the doors and up the stairs with her heart in her throat from anticipation. She was finally going to learn about her father, and her childhood, and the life she had long ago forgotten. 

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"Just because everything is different doesn't mean that everything has changed." - Irene Peter 

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Chapter 3

Before Ellie had realized it, it was well past eleven o'clock. She wiped her eyes tiredly, moved a box off of her lap, stood, and stretched. 

As she rubbed her blood-deprived extremities, she once again looked around her. The apartment was amazing. Aside from the dust, it had been kept in perfect condition. It was creepy, Ellie had to admit, and she half-expected her parents to walk in the door any moment.

Chuck had let her in the apartment, and after a bittersweet tour left her to her own devices. She had remained for the next five and a half hours alone in her parents' old home, digging through boxes and relishing the memories she uncovered within their cardboard walls.

Even though Ellie was enjoying what she was doing, she began to realize that she was simply making up stories about the majority of the objects she discovered. She wished her mother was there, or even better her father, but all she could do was sigh when she realized how alone she was.

Suddenly, that old feeling began to creep up on Eleanor. What was she doing here? What was she hoping to gain? Finding out about the terrific man her father had been was only going to hurt her more, bring her even more heartache. And she already had plenty of friends, she needed nothing from Chuck or Jade or Marissa or Kyle. It was rather selfish to ask them to relive a sad time in their lives, a time that they had spent the past fourteen years getting over. All she was doing here was stirring up pain.

She sighed and realized that she was crying again. God, she was such a sap. A weak, childish wuss. She grew angry at herself, and her actions, and wiping the tears from her eyes she stood and headed for the door. She was halfway down the stairs when she stopped, hearing voices. She didn't want to eavesdrop, but she didn't want to just barge in either, so she sat down on the steps and listened.

"... can't just hide it from her, Marissa!" "Chuck's right. She has a right to know about it. After all, Gary *was* her father." "I know, I know. I'm just trying to think of what Gary would want."

"Well then, that's simple. Of course he would want her to know."

A deep sigh, then a quiet voice. "But think about it, Chuck. Just think for a second. Say we tell her about the paper, say she even believes us, but what... how are you going to explain her father's death to her? I bet she knows nothing of how he died."

It was silent, and Ellie debated whether or not to make her exit from the staircase. Before she could decide Chuck answered. "I know, I know, Marissa. Believe me, I know. But we can't not tell her. She asked us to tell her about Gare's life, and I don't think I have to tell you that the Paper was his life. Even after he met Katherine, even after Eleanor was born, the Paper was still a huge part of his life. She has to know. She just wants to learn more about her father. And say we don't tell her, say she leaves here tonight and does some investigating of her own. What if she gets ahold of Gary's police file? What if she goes to talk to Crumb? What will she think then, that her father was some sort of a nutcase? I couldn't let that happen... Gary wouldn't want that to happen."

"Oh, alright. You can tell her. Just, just don't go too far with it until you're sure she believes."

"Sure thing," Ellie could hear the grin in Chuck's voice.

"Oh my! It's eleven thirty already! I should go get her."

Ellie's eyes went wide, and she quickly and quietly made her way back upstairs to the loft. She sank into the nearest chair and tried to decipher the conversation she had just witnessed. It alluded her. She was still thinking about it when there was a knock on the door and Chuck entered.

"Hey there, Ellie. How's it going?"

Eleanor didn't answer right away. She had spotted a picture hanging on the wall by the kitchen and walked over to it. "Did my mom take this?"

Chuck followed her over to the framed photograph.

"Yup. She was a freelance photographer when they met. You two were her favorite subjects."

Ellie nodded, studying the photo with a growing smile.

"I think this's my favorite picture. Ever."

Her comment was received with a slight chuckle. 

"Gary told me that, too. That's why he had it blown up and framed."

"Really?" Eleanor turned to Chuck and witnessed the smile in his eyes.

"Yeah, everyone likes that picture. Your mother entered it in some contest and it won second. And, of course, it also was on the cover of the Sun-Times."

That got Ellie's attention.

"The Sun-Times? The Chicago Sun-Times? I was in the Chicago Sun-Times?"

Chuck's smile grew. "Sure. You were in there a lot more than that, though."

"Why?" Chuck walked over and took a seat on the sofa. Ellie followed him and took a seat in the chair next to it.

"Well, see, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I guess I should start at the beginning."

"What beginning?"

"Well, do you have time?"

Eleanor glanced at her watch. "Do you - do you think I could stay here tonight? My ride has to get up early and I wouldn't want to disturb him."

"I could give you a ride, hon, but don't worry about it. We'll change the sheets and you can sleep here."

"Thank you! You don't know how much this means to me."

Chuck waved off her praise.

"It's okay. Now, let's see. The beginning. I met Gary when my family moved to Hickory, Indiana when I was eight..."

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Eleanor Zeke Travis blinked slowly. She opened her mouth, remembered she didn't know what to say, and quickly snapped it shut. This cycle repeated itself for a span of three minutes before Chuck finally sighed and stood.

"I'll go get the sheets. We'll, uh, lock up when we leave so you won't have to worry about it. I usually come in about seven-thirty, eight in the morning. Jade comes in about quarter to nine after the kids go to school, then Marissa and Kyle show up at nine," he hurried out of the apartment and left Ellie alone in her befuddlement.

When he walked back in, Chuck worked efficiently. He wasted no time and within moments the task of changing the bed clothes was completed. He bundled up the sheets and headed for the door.

"Goodnight, Eleanor," he mumbled. That snapped Ellie out of her reverie.

"Wait!"

Her outburst stopped Chuck in his tracks. He spun around and gazed at her questioningly.

"I - I never said I didn't believe you," she started, the words tumbling out before she knew what she was saying. "It's just - well, it's just a lot to take in, that's all. I mean, if anyone else would've even suggested something, something like this, I wouldn't believe him, but I- I trust you, so..." her voice tratted off and she recalled the conversation she had overheard earlier. He *had* to be telling the truth, however bizarre. "So my father was a hero?"

Chuck nodded, his familiar smile returning to his face.

"Yes indeed. Gary always looked out for the little guys. But for now you should get some rest. It's almost four thirty, you know."

Ellie didn't believe it, but a glance at the clock confirmed his words. She nodded and a yawn escaped her.

"We'll talk more tomorrow, Sweetie," he said, turning and opening the door with some difficulty. He shifted the sheets and smiled at her. "Goodnight, Ellie."

"G'night, Chuck."

The door closed with a click and Ellie walked over to lock it. She looked around the room with changed eyes. Her father, the magical modern-day hero, had lived there.

She went over to an armoire and opened up a drawer. She searched a bit before finding an old gray t-shirt and a pair of Chicago Bears sweatpants. She donned her new apparel, shut off the lights, and sleepily climbed into bed.

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"The interpretation of dreams is the royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious activities of the mind." - Sigmund Freud 

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"Morning, Gary. Morning, Ellie," Marissa said from her position behind the bar.

"Good morning, Marissa," Gary greeted cheerfully, snatching up the teetering curly-haired toddler. "Can you say 'good morning' to Marissa?"

The girl looked at Gary, then at Marissa, and then back at her father.

"Hi!" she chirped. It was one of the few words she knew.

Gary and Marissa laughed. 

"That's good enough," he kissed her on the cheek and sat her down on the bar. He stood behind and held her as he talked to Marissa.

"The Paper seems pretty light today… you don't think Katherine would get too mad if I took little Zeke with me, do ya?"

"Kathy is an understanding person, Gary," Marissa started. "And I'm sure she wouldn't be mad. In fact, she'll probably be happy you and your daughter are spending some time alone together in the outside world. However," she paused, a smile creeping on her face. "She may not be so understanding if she hears you calling her daughter Zeke."

Gary laughed, and keeping one hand on Eleanor he fished out his early edition of the Sun-Times from the back pocket of his jeans. He plopped it on the bar.

"Kathy is an understanding person, Gary," Marissa started. "And I'm sure she wouldn't be mad. In fact, she'll probably be happy you and your daughter are spending some time alone together in the outside world. However," she paused, a smile creeping on her face. "She may not be so understanding if she hears you calling her daughter Zeke."

Gary laughed, and keeping one hand on Eleanor he fished out his early edition of the Sun-Times from the back pocket of his jeans. He plopped it on the bar.

"Well, first there's a boy that chases a ball into the street and gets hit, then there's," he flipped through the Paper with one hand. "Then there's an incident with a fire hydrant – a girl loses her hand. After that there's a man that gets a broken arm at a construction site, then a drowning at a waterpark."

"Sounds like fun," Marissa commented. Gary caught the smile in her voice.

"You know, a few years ago it wouldn't have been, but now… I've got a whole new outlook on life. I'm a new man, Marissa."

"You're not a new man, Gary," Marissa assured. "Just 'improved'."

Gary smiled and picked up Ellie, who was busying herself with taste-tasting a coaster.

"Well, we're off," he grabbed the stroller from under the coat rack by the door and strapped Ellie in.

"Can you say 'good-bye', Ellie-belly?"

The toddler shook her head and Gary sighed good-naturedly, lifting the diaper bag from the coat rack and placing it in the back of the stroller.

"I'll see ya later, Marissa," he said, wheeling the stroller to the doors.

"Hi!" Ellie called. Marissa laughed. 

"Bye Ellie! Bye Gary!"

The few saves went by quickly, and before Gary knew it they were heading to the new waterpark with plenty of time to spare.

"I should've brought our bathing suits," Gary commented, handing Ellie a bottle. "It's a perfect day for swimming."

He pushed the stroller up to the large map of the waterpark. "You are here," he murmured. He glanced at the Paper and searched for the Big Kahuna. Finding the fifteen-foot deep pool on the map, he mentally noted the path and wheeled Ellie past the rows of occupied lounge chairs and crowded wave pools to the Big Kahuna. He quickly found a spot to sit and maneuvered the stroller so that he could watch the pool and keep an eye on Eleanor.

"You know," he said, his eyes on the group of rowdy teenagers heading for the deep end of the crowded pool. "It's a lot more fun having a partner with all these rescues. Especially when that partner is you."

Ellie just stared at him around her half-gone bottle, her big green eyes agreeing whole-heartedly.

"I've worked with many people in this business," he continued, searching the mass of kids for a blonde boy with blue swimming trunks. "Many people. Let's see… your Uncle Chuck, and Aunt Marissa, Grandpa Bernie and Grandma Lois, and Mommy, of course. Lots of people, but you know what?"

Eleanor looked up at him expectantly.

"You're still my favorite."

She giggled, and handed him her empty bottle.

"Thanks for the gift, darlin'," he grinned, stuffing the used object in a pocket of the diaper bag. He turned around in time to see a blonde-haired boy of about twelve approaching the diving board.

"Hang on a sec, Sweetie," he said, eyes on the boy as he rushed to him.

The kid was trembling, but the taunting from his pals in the pool was pressuring him into performing his dive into the deep end.

"Hey, Jeremy! Jeremy Triumph!"

He turned to the man calling his name and stopped with one foot on the board.

"Who are you?"

"I'm a friend," Gary said, reaching the boy and helping him off the board. "And you don't want to do that. I know for a fact that, uh," he searched his memory, mentally recalling the article he had read carefully on the way over. "Your mother told you not to do any diving until your leg has healed completely."

Jeremy looked down at his leg, then back up at Gary.

"How did you-"

"I told you, I'm a fri-"

But apparently Jeremy didn't need much proof, and ran off toward the shallower side.

"Hey! Slow down! The ground is all wet!" Gary called after him. He hurried back over to Ellie but forgot to heed his own advice. His shoes slipped on a puddle and he toppled into the pool, but not before smacking his head on the cemented edge.

Eleanor watched as Gary floated, face-down and not moving. No one seemed to notice him.

Ellie was getting scared. She was only one and a half years old, but she had enough experience to know that her daddy needed help.

Her chubby little fingers unbuckled the straps holding her in the stroller and she climbed out as fast as she could. Running unsteadily to the edge of the pool, she looked down at her father. 

"Dada!" she called, squatting down and trying to reach him. It was no use; he was too far away from the edge.

She looked around for a grown-up and saw a man with a white shirt and red shorts standing by the shallow end. Without a second thought she took off running, being careful not to get too close to the edge.

"Help!" she cried when she reached the man, tugging on his shorts. He turned from yelling at some kids and bent down.

"What is it, little one?"

"Dada!" she explained, tugging on his shorts and pointing down to the deep end. "Dada! Help!"

He seemed to understand her. He snatched her up and hurried over to the other side. He placed her down on a lounge chair and dived into the pool. He quickly swam over to Gary and dragged him to the side. He pulled him out of the pool and laid him on his back. He started CPR and moments later Gary coughed up water, but was still unconscious.

"Someone! Call 911!" the lifeguard yelled. A lady approaching them nodded and dug through her purse for a cell-phone.

Ellie stared at the man, who was checking for breathing. 

"Dada okay?" she asked, toddling over to her wet, crumpled father.

The lifeguard looked over at her quickly and smiled.

"Sure thing, kid. Dada will be okay," he murmured, breathing for Gary.

Moments later an ambulance arrived. Ellie and her still-unconscious father were ushered into the shiny white ambulance with flashing lights.

Gary started breathing on the ambulance ride there, but he was still unconscious from the bump on his head. 

"Dada sleepin'?" she asked one of the EMTs sitting next to her.

"Yeah, your daddy's just sleeping," he turned to face her, momentarily satisfied his co-worker was handling the situation.

"Did you get the lifeguard?" he asked her in a gentle voice. Ellie nodded solemnly. 

"That was very smart of you," he praised, turning back to check on Gary. "What's your name?"

"Ellie-nor," she said proudly, shifting to hold her daddy's hand.

"You're a very brave girl, Eleanor," the EMT continued. "You should get a medal or something."

"Or at least the cover of the Sun-Times," the other EMT added.

"Yeah, you'll be all over the news. How old are you, Eleanor?"

She held up her index finger.

"Wow! You're one? When I was one I could barely walk. You should definitely get a medal."

By then they had arrived at the hospital. Gary was whisked off into the depths of the ER.

The first EMT carried Ellie inside.

"What should I do with her?" he asked the nurse.

"Who is she?"

"Eleanor Hobson, the daughter of that guy we just brought in."

"Well, I could watch her until someone comes for her."

"Okay. Eleanor, you're gonna stay here with Nurse Nancy," he plopped the toddler down in the nurse's swivel chair and took her aside.

"You'll never believe this kid," he exclaimed. "She got the lifeguard when her dad fell into the pool. Saved his life. She's gotta be the smartest one-year-old I've ever met."

The nurse nodded, glancing over at Ellie, who was watching the screensaver on the computer.

"Excuse me," a man said, approaching the desk. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation..."

"Yes?" the EMT asked.

"I'm Michael Collins, from the Chicago Sun-Times. My sister's here having a baby, and I've got some time, so… could I talk to you?" 

The EMT and reporter walked off, having an animated conversation.

"Well, Eleanor," the nurse said, leaning against the desk and smiling at the little girl. "Looks like you're front page materi-"

She was interrupted by a flock of nurses and doctors running down the hall. "Code blue!" one of them yelled, and the nurse picked up Ellie and followed them. They ended up in Gary's room, where a team of people were surrounding his bed and barking out readings and medical jargon.

"We're losing him!" one yelled. BEEEEEE-

Ellie's eyes shot open. She sounded like she had just run a marathon. With a couple deep breaths she managed to slow down her racing heart.

Her eyes now adjusted to the darkness, Ellie climbed out of the bed and headed over to the window. There was no way she was getting back to sleep for a while.

She glanced at the alarm clock. It was only 6:26. She hadn't been sleeping long.

Ellie sighed and gazed out the window. The sky was brightening, but she couldn't see the sun yet. Her mind wandered back to the vivid dream she had just experienced.

It was the weirdest thing. The dream had been in third person, which was unsettling enough, but what concerned her even more was the content. Had that really happened when she was a baby? And if it did, how in the world did she remember it, and more importantly, why now? What was the dream trying to tell her?

She sighed and walked back to the bed. She sank into it and took a deep breath. There she was, over-rationalizing everything again. When would she learn?

Meow. Thump.

Eleanor froze. Her gaze turned to the front door.

"Oh great. Not only is my mind playing tricks on me, but it got my ears in on it, too."

She settled into the warm bed again and closed her eyes.

Meow. Mrrrooow.

Her eyes flicked open. She wasn't imagining things. She had really heard a cat. She checked the clock and got out of bed again.

"Six thirty?" she asked, then rolled her eyes. "Who am I talking to?"

She reached the door and paused warily.

Mrrooooooww. Mrrooow.

Ellie shrugged and swung open the door. She stared down at her feet in awe.

The ginger tabby cat stared back up at her, unblinking.

"Meow?" it offered before trotting between her legs and into the apartment.

Ellie was in shock. She slowly bent down and picked up a copy of the Chicago Sun-Times. In utter disbelief, she checked the date of the paper in her trembling hands.

"Tuesday, November 11, 2021," she read out loud. She noticed the headline 'President Okays NASA Plan' before she passed out.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Eleanor Travis was not one to faint. In fact, she had never done it before and never planned on it. But when she came to ten minutes later and found herself sprawled on the chilly floor, she didn't deny what had happened.

With an astonished look, she tossed the offending newspaper on the bed and headed for the bathroom. Chuck would be here in less than an hour, and surely he would know more about matters like that than she did.

She emerged, feeling a bit refreshed, at seven o'clock on the dot. She felt silly putting on the same clothes she had worn yesterday, but she decided that was the best course of action.

She sat on the bed, her wet brown curls dripping water onto the back of her shirt, and stared at the phone next to the bed. It reminded her that she should call Julian. In fact, she should've called him last night.

She felt terrible at her lack of responsibility and instantly seized the phone. He was rather understanding and was glad it had been a success.

At 7:14 she stood and paced the room. She avoided looking at the paper.

"Meow," the cat announced, appearing at her feet.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Ellie asked. "Are you hungry?"

"Mrrowww," the cat answered, following Ellie into the kitchen.

"I doubt there's any milk in here," she said, and seconds later her prediction was confirmed. "But I'm sure they have some downstairs. C'mon."

She stopped at the door and shook her head. She had completely lost her mind – she was talking to strange cats, and receiving strange papers, and wasn't going back to sleep even though she had less than two hours of it. She spun around and grabbed the paper off the bed without looking at it. Chuck would definitely want to see it.

The cat followed her down to the kitchen of McGinty's, where after some searching Ellie produced a saucer full of milk.

"I hope they don't mind," she murmured, and looked around for a clock. 7:30.

As if on cue, Eleanor heard keys at the front door, and made her way out to the bar.

"Oh, good morning, Ellie," Chuck said, yanking the keys out of the door and shifting a brown grocery bag in his arms. "I didn't expect to see you so early."

Ellie yawned and sank into a bar stool.

"Yeah, neither did I."

Chuck went behind the bar and started to put away the contents of his bag.

"Shipment's late," he answered her unasked question before replying to her previous comment. "What happened?"

"Well, I had a dream about," she paused. "About my father, and I woke up. And then, at six-thirty on the dot I heard a meow and a thump, and… and this," she pulled the paper out of her back pocket and offered it to him.

Chuck's eyes went wide.

"Is it –"

"Tomorrow's? Yeah."

"Wow."

"You're telling me."

"No, really. I never ever expected this to happen."

"But, uh, what do I do with it? Is this a permanent thing now? Am I, ah, taking over the family business?"

"I don't know. Gary and I discussed it once, and we didn't think... with Lindsey... well, we didn't think it was hereditary."

"Lindsey?"

"Well, Gary mentioned that this girl, Lindsey Romick, was supposed to take over the Paper if... uh, if anything happened to him. She came in here once, after Gary had died, and asked for him, but I haven't seen or heard from her since. So maybe she's passing on the torch."

Chuck stared down at the front page, then back at Eleanor.

"So the paper's mine now?"

"Well, I – I can't say. I mean, I don't know."

Ellie nodded, her head spinning.

"Is there anything bad in there?" Chuck asked, motioning to the early edition with his head.

"I – I don't know. I didn't read it. I freaked out."

Chuck swallowed, crumpled up the empty bag, and picked up the paper.

"I think you should read it, see if there are any tragedies you can prevent."

"And?" Ellie asked, taking the paper like it was infested with an incurable disease.

"And then go prevent them."

"That's it?"

"That's all the advice I can give, kid. If you wanna wait for Jade to come, or Marissa–"

"Nah. I mean, I guess I could look."

She gingerly laid the paper on the counter and scanned the front page.

"Nothing big here," she mumbled, and turned the page.

"Uh oh."

"What?"

"Couple killed by hit-and-run," Ellie read.

"Go on," Chuck urged.

"At approximately eight-fifteen Monday morning, a couple was struck and killed by a speeding motorist on the corner of Franklin and Illinois – hey, that's right outside!"

Chuck met Eleanor's eyes, and they turned to look out the front door.

"Eight-fiteen?"

"Yeah."

"C'mon, let's go take a look."

They walked out of the bar and squinted at the bright sky.

"Eight oh four," Chuck whispered, looking at his watch. Ellie nodded and watched as a brown truck with a silver trailer pulled into a parking space across the street. She watched, mesmerized, as an old couple got out and fed meter. They stopped on the sidewalk and started a conversation, oblivious to the two frozen people across the street.

"Oh my God," Chuck whispered.

Ellie didn't even hear him. She checked the paper, then her watch, and hurried to the corner.

"Wait!" she called to the couple, who were about five steps out into the crosswalk. "Wait a minute!" she yelled again. This time, they heard her. She felt beads of sweat forming on her forehead at their questioning gaze.

"Back up! Get back on the sidewalk!" she yelled. Suddenly, life went into slow motion. Ellie watched as a black Jeep Cherokee sped towards the couple. She started running without a second thought. She hadn't known her legs could work so fast. She made it across the street in mere milliseconds it seemed, and as the car barreled towards them the only thought occupying her head was to save the couple. She leapt up the air as far as she could and collided with their bodies, sending them into the pavement. The Jeep blew on by, ignoring the stop sign or the potential fatalities.

Ellie laid on top of the two elderly people, breathing hard. What had she just done?

Reality came into focus again. Eleanor stood and brushed herself off, then helped the man and woman up. Chuck glanced both ways before running across to join them.

"Thank you so much, miss," the woman gushed, shaking Ellie's hand. "We didn't even see him coming!"

"Crazy drivers! I hate to think of what would have happened…" the old man trailed off as Chuck joined them. They studied each other for a moment, before they both broke into wide grins.

"Bernie!"

"Chuck-o!"

They grabbed each other in a huge bear hug. Ellie blinked in shock.

"Lois! It's so good to see you," Chuck said, turning to the smiling woman.

"How are you, Chuck? Everyone okay?" Lois asked.

"Oh yeah, everyone's doing great," Chuck said, putting an arm around each of their shoulders and ushering them back across the street. Ellie followed silently, trying to piece together these latest developments.

"I have a little surprise for you," Chuck announced as they entered McGinty's.

"A surprise?" Lois asked. "But how did you know we were coming? We just decided last night, and –"

"Hush, Lois. I wanna know what the surprise is," Bernie complained, and leaned in to Chuck. "Don't tell me you had another kid and didn't tell us!"

"No, no," Chuck assured, laughing. "This is something I had nothing to do with."

Bernie and Lois nodded, and Chuck motioned for them to take a seat in one of the booths. They slid in and Chuck grabbed Ellie's hand. He gently pushed her over to the table. She sat with him across from Bernie and Lois, her green eyes wide with sudden realization.

"Okay, now… I know how strange this is, but… this is your granddaughter, Eleanor Zeke Hobson."

The look on their faces paralleled Chuck's when he had first discovered her identity. Ellie smiled weakly at them.

"Oh my gosh!" Lois exclaimed, and jumped out of her seat. She motioned Chuck out of the way and slid in next to her late son's daughter.

"Ellie! My gosh, you have grown!" she hugged her tightly, then bombarded her cheeks with kisses.

Bernie had a smile a mile wide when Lois and Ellie climbed out of the booth.

"C'mere, you," he said, and gave her a big hug and kiss on the cheek. "We haven't seen you in so long! What are you doing in Chicago?" Ellie took a step away from them and scratched the back of her neck nervously. The action made all three smile even brighter.

"I, uh, I live here."

"And where's Katherine? We haven't talked to her since…" Lois trailed off.

"Um, my mom died in September. She was in an accident."

"Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry," Lois sympathized, giving her another hug. "How horrible! Katherine was such a sweet girl."

"We loved her like a daughter," Bernie offered.

Ellie nodded, feeling comfortable with her grandparents, even though she hadn't seen them in over fourteen years.

"Ellie came here yesterday," Chuck announced. "Apparently, Kathy didn't ever talk about, uh, Gary, and Eleanor found a paper with his name and this address."

Bernie and Lois nodded. 

"We talked here really late, and so she stayed in the loft. And then this morning," Chuck said with a flourish, pausing before the clincher. "And this morning, at six-thirty, Ellie received a present: an orange tabby cat, complete with tomorrow's paper today."

End part 1

So, what did ya think? Should I keep writing? Please let me know.


	2. 02 A Percentage of Infinity chapter 2

PMerry Christmas all!/p  
  
pI am back with a belated X-mas gift (although it' s right on time for Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Boxing Day)... the second part of my continuing saga. First off, I just want to give a big hug and "thank you" to everyone who gave me feedback about Part 1. Without you, I wouldn't have been motivated to write Part 2, so I dedicate this one to you. I worked hard on it and I hope I don't let you down./p  
  
pDisclaimers: I don't own Early Edition, but I am fighting for it to get back on the air. I did, however, create the characters of Eleanor Zeke Hobson, Katherine Hobson, and Kyle Webster. I have taken liberty on several things, so please, no complaining. I thought about the feedback I was getting and how I felt, and since I really missed Gary and the holiday spirit caught ahold of me, I cannot be held responsible for what my fingers typed. :-)/p  
  
pAuthor's Further Notes: I just wanted to warn everybody - this story has taken a totally different direction than what I originally planned so this part may not make much sense now, but when Part 3 rolls around, BAM! it will all become clear. And now, I present to you.../p  
  
ptitle: A Percentage of Infinity - Part 2/p  
pauthor: Papergirl (Ambino1111@prodigy.net)/p  
  
blockquote"We each have our part to play, our life to live; it's our own percentage of infinity." - Papergirl/blockquote  
hr  
p"One pretzel, please."/p  
p"Dollar fifty."/p  
pThirteen year old handed over six quarters and took the salty treat. She hungrily ate half of it as she continued down the crowded Chicago streets, then wrapped the other half and shoved it in her pocket./p  
pAt the corner she waited patiently for the Walk sign as she checked her coat pockets for more change./p  
pTimes had been tough since the divorce. She and her mother had arrived in the chilly Windy City the past Tuesday, and had been living in their car. Ellie currently had some time to kill because her mom was on a job interview. If Katherine got the job at Peters, Nicol & Weissman, she and Ellie would have enough money to rent an apartment./p  
pEllie looked up and saw the sign change to Walk. She checked left and right and began to cross. She was a few steps off the curb when someone starting yelling her name. Ellie turned in time to see a figure come lunging at her. The mysterious figure tackled her just as a truck went speeding past./p  
pThe figure, a blonde woman in a brown jacket, rose and offered Ellie her hand./p  
p"Are you okay, Eleanor?"/p  
pThe girl nodded, a little dazed. "Th- Thank you. I coulda... I could have been killed."/p  
pThe blonde woman smiled, tucking a folded newspaper into her coat. "You have to be more careful."/p  
p"I will," Ellie said solemnly. The woman opened her mouth but Ellie continued./p  
p"Wait, I... I owe you my life. Let me-" she searched her pockets, finding only the half-eaten pretzel. She pulled it out of her pocket. "Here, I - I don't have anything else to give you. I'm sorry, Ma'am."/p  
pThe woman looked touched at the offering. "My name's Lindsey. Lindsey Romick. And you keep that. In fact," she looked around and spotted the pretzel vendor. "Let me buy you another one."/p  
p"Oh, I couldn't possibly, Miss Romick. You've been so kind already, and it wouldn't be right-"/p  
p"Nonsense. It'd hurt my feelings if you didn't let me buy you another one."/p  
pEllie smiled up at her as they walked to the pretzel man./p  
p"Thank you very much, Miss Romick."/p  
p"Call me Lindsey," she said, handing the man a dollar and fifty cents. She took the warm pretzel and gave it to Ellie./p  
p"Thank you," Eleanor said again, carefully wrapping the new pretzel in a napkin and putting it in her pocket. She took out the half and nibbled at it./p  
p"Why didn't you eat the new one?" Lindsey asked curiously./p  
p"Oh, uh- I'm saving it for my mom. Money's a little tight right now. I mean, I really appreciate it, but we just got here, and Mom's on an interview, so I thought that I'd just give..." Ellie trailed off when she realized she was babbling./p  
pLindsey looked at the young girl strangely, as if she knew a secret about her./p  
p"Eleanor, I want you to remember that no matter how bad things may be, they'll always get better. Don't ever lose faith. Can you remember that?"/p  
p"Yes, I'll remember. Thank you, Lindsey."/p  
pEllie turned to leave./p  
p"Wait! Eleanor, I think you dropped this," Lindsey handed her a key chain./p  
p"But I didn't, I mean... I don't think it's mine."/p  
p"It has your initials, doesn't it?"/p  
pEllie looked down. Sure enough, EZH was inscribed on it./p  
p"Well, I guess."/p  
p"You guess?"/p  
p"Well, those used to be my initials."/p  
pLindsey looked confused, but only momentarily. She cocked her head to the side and smiled./p  
p"I'm pretty sure it's yours."/p  
pEllie nodded dumbly, taking the key chain and staring at it in wonder./p  
p"Thank you," she said softly. Lindsey smiled again and started to walk away./p  
p"Remember what I told you, Eleanor," she called over her shoulder. "Don't ever lose faith."/p  
br  
pEllie jerked awake. It was 6:30 already./p  
pShe slapped the radio off and laid back down, staring up at the ceiling. Had that dream really happened? Was it some sort of sign?/p  
pEllie climbed out of bed when the paper came. She let the cat in, glanced at the paper, and hurried into the shower./p  
pShe was now more determined than ever to find out what her dreams had been trying to tell her. As soon as she was finished saving people, she was going to start investigating./p  
br  
br  
p"Good morning, Ellie," Marissa chirped as Eleanor stumbled over to the coat rack./p  
p"Kid suffocates in snow drift, man falls off roof, woman loses child at mall," Ellie mumbled, tugging on her black leather coat./p  
p"Coffee?" Marissa asked, carefully pouring a mug./p  
p"Maybe a little," Ellie yawned, squatting down to zip up her boots./p  
p"Ellie, you need to relax," Marissa instructed, holding out the cup./p  
p"I don't have time to relax," Eleanor said, rubbing her eyes sleepily before snatching the hot coffee from her friend. "Especially with this blizzard."/p  
p"Despite the snow, Eleanor, you need to make time to relax. It's not even Christmas yet and you're practically dead on your feet."/p  
p"Practically?" Ellie asked with a smile that evolved into a yawn. "I'm exhausted."/p  
pShe paused, closing her eyes and momentarily reveling in the warmth of the brown liquid, trying to remember the feeling for when she faced the blizzard outside. Then she sighed and opened her eyes./p  
p"Hey, how come you're here so early? Where's Chuck?"/p  
p"He's outside shoveling. It started snowing again so the boys are home from school - Kyle stayed home and took them out sledding... but you avoided answering my question."/p  
p"You're good," Ellie complimented with a grin. "Yeah, well, I'll try to relax, but it's the sixteenth already and I don't have any shopping done... I've been so busy."/p  
p"Just promise me you'll take it a bit easier?"/p  
p"I said I'll try, but I gotta get going. Jimmy Orson's going to suffocate in thirty minutes."/p  
p"You sound just like your father," Marissa mused./p  
pEllie stopped. She shook her head slightly and placed the half-empty mug on the bar./p  
p"You know, it hasn't even been three months and I'm totally wiped. How did my dad do this everyday for years?"/p  
pMarissa smiled, thinking of the past./p  
p"It wasn't easy, believe me. He ran himself ragged all the time."/p  
p"What about when he got sick?" Ellie asked as she pulled a baby blue hat over her head./p  
p"He had to keep going. Chuck and I helped when we could, and sometimes the paper would give him a break, but most of the time it was your father's determined good will that pushed him on. That, and his terrific immune system."/p  
pEllie grinned, wrapping a matching baby blue scarf around her face./p  
p"Maybe I inherited that, too."/p  
p"I hope so."/p  
p"Well, I gotta go. Have a good day, Marissa, and close up early - we're getting another five inches today," she called as she hurried out the door into the frigid, icy, snow world of downtown Chicago./p  
br  
pEllie made good time, and she found herself going through her and her mom's stuff at Storage Space by ten o'clock. The paper, for once, was free of catastrophes for the rest of the day, and Ellie was fervently searching every one of the boxes for the key chain from her dream./p  
pIn the bottom of the fifth box, Ellie's breath caught in her throat. Carefully, she picked the key chain up, a solitary key dangling, and studied it. She was amazed at its mere existence, that the even that she dreamed of had actually happened./p  
p"There has to be a reason," Ellie murmured, turning the key chain over in her hand. "ITB?"/p  
pHer brain frantically searched for the meaning of the initials, and within a moment's thoughts she was supplied with the answer./p  
pShe quickly repacked and restacked the boxes, and hurried off to the bank./p  
br  
p"Here you go, Miss," the kindly old banker said, handing Eleanor the drawer and the key chain. "I'll be in the lobby. Take all the time you need."/p  
pEllie nodded, not really paying attention. She sat down at a nearby table and removed the only thing inside the drawer./p  
p'Eleanor Hobson' was elegantly handwritten on an envelope. Ellie opened it with care and gently pulled out the folded letter./p  
br  
Eleanor-  
pI'll be brief. I know I won't have the paper for long, so I have taken it upon myself to share with you what I have learned, so as to save you some time and heartache. First of all, as with many things, the paper is a mixed blessing at times. However, through my experiences, I have come to view it as a fantastic gift, a rare glimpse into the intricacies of the universe. As part of the chosen few, we each have our lives to live, our parts to play; it's our own percentage of infinity. Each individual touches so many other lives, and we can touch even more. Everyone leaves a mark on each other's lives, sometimes without even meeting. So, young Eleanor, I will bestow on you some of my knowledge and hopefully affect your life in a fantastic way, even though I only saw you once, many years ago. First, the cat is a special soul. He understands exactly what you are going through and sometimes is our only link between past, present, and future. Give him milk and treats, but don't give him a name - Cat has a certain charm that you'll come to love. Second, the human spirit is astoundingly resilient. Given time, love, and occasionally doctors, you can heal from any wound. Third, and most important, you have to be able to look beyond what you can see. Miracles do happen - one happens every morning at six thirty - but they don't stop there. Sometimes you find what you're looking for only after you've stopped searching, but sometimes you find it when you can view things in a new light. Lastly, a reminder that libraries contain a wealth of information - you can find almost anything there. To conclude, Eleanor, follow your heart, listen to your dreams, and don't ever lose faith. Somebody will always be watching your back./p  
br - Lindsey Romick  
br  
pEllie folded the letter and returned it to the envelope, carefully stowing it in her inner coat pocket. She had been taken aback by the power of her predecessor's compassion and understanding. Intrigued by the mysterious clues, Ellie left the bank as quickly as she could and trudged through the snow to the Chicago Public Library./p  
pAfter an hour of browsing through the microfiche system, Ellie's blurry eyes had discovered a few interesting facts. The first was that her father was in the Chicago Sun-Times a lot. The second was that Chuck, Marissa, Lois, Bernie, her mother, and even Ellie herself had been in the paper quite a few times, too. The third, her first lead, was that a Detective Marion Crumb was mentioned in many of the articles concerning her father. After another half an hour of research, Ellie was rewarded with the retired policeman's current address./p  
br  
p"May I help you?"/p  
p"Yes, I'm looking for Marion Crumb."/p  
p"Are you a friend or a relative?"/p  
p"Well, I'm Eleanor Hobson. He and my father were... friends."/p  
p"Gary Hobson? Oh, he was a sweet boy. Came once a week to see Marion after his accident. I haven't seen him in years. How is he?"/p  
p"He died."/p  
p"I'm sorry, dear... Marion's in room 224. Go down that hallway, third door on the right."/p  
p"Thank you," Ellie said politely, and followed the woman's directions. When she reached 224 she raised her hand nervously and knocked./p  
p"Just a minute!" she heard, and there was some noise on the other side of the door. The lock clicked off, and Ellie heard a wheel squeak. "Come on in!"/p  
pEleanor cautiously opened the door and stepped inside. A gruff-looking man wearing jeans and a flannel shirt was sitting in a wheelchair across the room./p  
p"Can I help ya?" he asked, eyes narrowed suspiciously./p  
p"Well, uh... yes, sir. I mean, I hope so... sir. See, my name's Eleanor Hobson, um... I'm Gary's daughter. I saw some old newspaper articles mentioning you two and, since you were close to him I was -"/p  
p"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Stop right there, little lady. I wasn't that close to him. We were sorta pals. We got on each other's nerves all the time, but... hey, wait a minute. You're Hobson's daughter?"/p  
pEllie nodded affirmation./p  
p"You do kinda remind me of him. I dunno, maybe it's the eyes. Or that paper in your hand. What is it with Hobsons and newspapers?"/p  
p"I'm not sure you want to know, sir."/p  
pCrumb nodded, then grimaced a little in pain. He shifted in his chair. "I haven't seen you since you were a toddler. How've you been?"/p  
p"Okay, I guess," she paused, then curiosity got the most of her. "Did my father really come visit you every week?"/p  
p"Sure he did. I got to know him a lot more in those visits than in all our previous meetings, even when I worked at the bar."/p  
pHe stopped for a moment, lost in thought, then continued. "Anyways, have a seat. Want something to drink? Water? Coffee? Tea?"/p  
p"No, thank you. I'm good."/p  
p"Okay, then... Why're ya here?"/p  
p"Well... to be honest, I don't really know. I mean, it's a longshot, but... do you remember anything odd about my father's death?"/p  
p"Your father's life was odd," Crumb answered, giving Ellie the impression that he was avoiding the question. "He had this thing, I dunno, where he knew what was going to happen before it did. I didn't want to know how - I figured it's his business, not mine, if he's got ESPN. But he was harmless. Very persistent, and a pretty good actor, but an overall good guy. He kinda reminded me of that guy that carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, ya know? When I went to his wedding, though, he seemed more relaxed, definitely happier... He was real upset when I got shot though. Can you believe it? Over thirty years on the force and some punk kid who's trigger-happy cripples me in a gas station. Some luck I got! Anyway, I think Hobson blamed himself, something silly like that. He'd visit me every week and he always had this sad, guilty, puppy-dog look. Yeah, your dad was a good man. I was sorry to see him go... to, uh, see him die - I mean, I was sorry that he died."/p  
pEllie gave him a strange look. Something about what he said seemed odd to her, but she couldn't pinpoint it. She felt like she was on the verge of an epiphany. Suddenly, she had the urge to return to the library - there had to be something there that she was missing./p  
p"It was, uh, nice meeting you, Mr. Crumb. I'm sorry to cut my visit short, but I have got to get going," Ellie said quickly, crossing the room to shake his hand./p  
p"Call me Marion. And it was nice seeing you again, Miss Eleanor."/p  
pAs soon as Ellie left, Crumb wheeled himself over to the telephone. He picked it up and dialed a number he had dialed many times in the past fourteen years./p  
p"Hey, it's me... Yeah... She knows something's up... She didn't say, but I think it'd be a good idea. You can probably catch up to her a two blocks from here... Okay. Bye."/p  
br  
pEllie jerked awake. She had fallen asleep with her head on a pile of old newspapers, printed off articles, and copied pages after searching through almost every edition of the Sun-Times from the past twenty years./p  
pShe stretched in her seat with a yawn. Her stomach growled and she checked her watch - 4:02 PM. She hadn't eaten anything all day. Slipping on her coat and gathering her purse and papers, Eleanor noticed a manila envelope resting on one of the piles. Curious, she picked it up and cautiously broke the seal. She dumped the contents onto the table./p  
pWhat she saw made her brows furrow in confusion. There were two pieces of paper. One was a Sun-Times from June 29th - the day after her father had been killed. She had already copied the article, but she read it softly to herself./p  
p"Murder at O'Hare - Man found dead in bathroom. An unidentified man was found dead in a bathroom at O'Hare International Airport. According to police, the murder occurred at approximately 5:45 last night in the men's bathroom by Terminal C. Despite a lack of witnesses, the police reportedly have a suspect in custody. The names of the victim and the suspect are being withheld at the family's request."/p  
pThe other paper in the envelope was a copy of a slightly different front page. Ellie guessed it was the early edition./p  
p"Murder at O'Hare - Man found dead in bathroom. A man identified as Antonio Barone was found dead in a bathroom at O'Hare International Airport. According to police, the murder occurred at approximately 5:45 last night in the men's room by Terminal C. There were reportedly no witnesses and the police are following various leads."/p  
pEllie couldn't think of why the two stories were so slightly different, but she knew it was important. Something had happened when her father arrived to stop the shooting. Had he been shot instead of the original victim? Questions flooded her mind, but she had no answers./p  
pFrustrated and starving, Ellie left the library and headed to McGinty's./p  
br  
p"Did you enjoy your burger, Ellie?" Marissa asked, taking a seat on the barstool next to her./p  
p"Yeah, it was good," Ellie mumbled, distractedly playing with a French fry./p  
p"That's good," Marissa said quietly. She could tell something was bothering the younger woman. "You know, Ellie, I'm a good listener. Do you have anything you want to talk about?"/p  
pIt took Ellie a moment to register that Marissa was talking, and another moment to realize she was talking to her. She laughed in response./p  
p"Marissa, I have a million questions, but I don't think you can help me with the answers."/p  
p"Try me," Marissa challenged with a smile. "I was able to help your dad even before my psych degree."/p  
pEleanor was quiet. Marissa tried to block out the noise from the late lunch/ early dinner crowd and strained to listen. She was about to ask if Ellie was okay when the girl spoke./p  
p"How did my dad die?" The words were so soft that even though Marissa was sitting next to her she could barely hear./p  
pGary's old friend was stunned into silence. She hadn't expected a question like that. She opened her mouth but no words came out./p  
pEllie turned in her seat and grasped Marissa's shoulders firmly. Her green eyes were dark with intensity./p  
p"Marissa, listen. Please. I need to know. How did Gary Hobson die?"/p  
p"He was shot," Marissa croaked, shocked by Eleanor's actions and the desperation in her voice. She cleared her throat to rid herself of the large lump that formed whenever she thought about Gary's death. "He, he was so happy that day - ecstatic. I thought he was going to burst. I even told him that, and he laughed... he told me that someone was going to get shot at the airport - that was really all he said about it. Stuff like that was commonplace, but I told him to be careful anyway - I always did. He said 'Always,' and then he told me that the next time he'd see me, he'd have you and Katherine with him."/p  
pMarissa's mouth felt dry. She swallowed, then paused hesitantly. "The cops called me around 7:15. They didn't say much, just that Gary had been shot, and they asked me to come down to the station. I remember hanging up that phone and having the realization of what the man meant hit me. Gary must have been dead already, otherwise I'd have gone to a hospital. There must have been no hope for him, but even then I prayed. I prayed to God, I prayed to St. Jude, the patron saint of lost and hopeless causes - I even prayed to the Paper. But when I got to the station, a lieutenant sat down with me and said that Gary had been shot and killed in a bathroom at O'Hare. And for some reason - they said it was his parents' wishes, but I had my doubts - they didn't want much publicity. You and your mom hadn't flown in yet, and the only person I could think of was Chuck. I had them call Chuck to ID the body. He flew in as soon as he could - got to the station around 10:30 that night. While I was waiting, the lieutenant led me to a room and... it was the strangest thing, but I swear that in that hallway I felt Gary's presence. I even thought I smelled his cologne. But I chalked it up to grief and never told anyone."/p  
p"That's all you remember?" Ellie asked quietly, releasing Marissa's shoulders. The older woman nodded, a sad look on her face. They remained silent for a while, lost in their thoughts. Ellie coughed and the spell was broken./p  
p"Is Chuck here?" Ellie asked, turning to look around the restaurant./p  
p"Yeah, he's with Jade in the office. At least, he was."/p  
p"Thanks, Marissa," Ellie called over her shoulder, jogging to the office./p  
pShe knocked twice and entered, surprised to find Jade asleep on the couch and Chuck sitting on the floor, surrounded by several mounds of paperwork./p  
p"Heya, Ellie. What's up?" Chuck whispered, an exhausted smile on his face./p  
p"Um, Chuck, could I talk to you?"/p  
p"Huh? Oh sure, Hang on," he carefully stood and climbed over the stacks to join her at the door. He gently closed the door behind him and motioned her upstairs to the apartment that had become hers./p  
p"Sorry about that. I think Jade's coming down with a cold... So, what can I do for ya?"/p  
pEllie decided to jump right in./p  
p"I need you to tell me about my father's death."/p  
pA flicker of something passed over his features, but it was gone too quickly for Eleanor to decipher it./p  
p"I don't like to talk about it," Chuck affirmed quietly, lowering his eyes to the floor./p  
p"I know, but I really need to know. I have to make sure-"/p  
pChuck looked up sharply, his eyes staring right into hers with an odd gleam. "Make sure of what?"  
pEllie broke eye contact, suddenly finding her hands extraordinarily interesting. She grew very nervous and uncertain. Maybe she was trying too hard, maybe it was time to put her silly theory to rest./p  
pThen again, maybe not./p  
pAfter all, it couldn't hurt to ask./p  
p"I wanted to make sure he was... uh, that he died. You're the only one that can tell me the truth. I mean, I know how silly it must seem, but... I don't think he's gone. I can't believe it. I just, I have this feeling and..." she took a deep breath. "Is my father really dead?"/p  
pHe stared at her for a long time, his face a mask. After what seemed like an eternity to Eleanor, he shifted slightly./p  
p"Gary Hobson is dead," he spoke slowly, emphasizing each word with a finality that shattered Ellie's hope. Then he spun around and went downstairs./p  
pEllie stared after him for a second before nodding slowly, tears running down her cheeks as she sank to the ground./p  
br  
br  
December 24, 2021  
(Three days later)  
br  
p"Merry Christmas, everyone!" Eleanor shouted, walking into the warmth of the Fishman home with her arms full of bags and colorfully wrapped boxes./p  
p"Merry Christmas!" Jade greeted her with a hug, then took some of the presents as Chuck joined them from the kitchen./p  
p"Merry Christmas, Ellie," Chuck said cheerfully, taking the rest of the gifts from her hands. Ellie smiled her thanks and quickly removed her winter bundling. She gave Chuck a quick hug, took back a few packages, and followed them into the living room./p  
pEleanor surveyed the mountain of presents surrounding the brightly decorated flashing tree. "I take it I'm the last one here?"/p  
p"Oh yeah," Jade confirmed jovially, leading the two to the kitchen. "Even Bernie and Lois got here two hours ago."/p  
pEllie opened her mouth to explain her tardiness, then remembered who she was with and realized she didn't need to say anything - they understood./p  
pThe rather spacious room was bustling with activity. Jade joined Marissa and Amber, who were hovering around the stove, putting the finishing touches on all the side dishes. Kyle was at the head of the table where he was demonstrating to fourteen year old Austin Fishman how to properly carve a turkey. Gary Fishman and the Webster twins were busily setting the table. In the far corner Lois Hobson was instructing her husband on how to work the video camera; Marissa's guide dog slept at their feet./p  
pDinner was, by far, the best meal Ellie had ever eaten. She wasn't sure if it was because of the terrific food or that she felt like she was part of a really wonderful family./p  
pWhen everyone was excitedly opening gifts, Chuck took Ellie into the hallway./p  
p"Did you see Jade's face when she opened your gift? That diamond necklace was gorgeous-" Chuck raised his hand to stop Ellie's cheerful gushing./p  
p"I have two really important gifts for you, Eleanor," he said seriously, his eyes searching hers./p  
p"What is it?" Ellie asked, her smile disappearing./p  
pChuck reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a slightly yellowed envelope./p  
p"This is a letter your father wrote to you a long time ago. I wasn't supposed to give it to you yet, but..." he handed her the envelope./p  
p"Wow," Ellie breathed, staring with childlike wide-eyed wonder at the object in her hands. 'My Zeke' she read to herself, tracing the letters with her fingers./p  
p"That's not all," Chuck continued. He coughed nervously and straightened his festive musical tie. "Everyone should be able to get what they really want for Christmas."/p  
pAt Ellie's inquiring gaze he reached into his pocket again and pulled out a small, folded slip of paper. He played with it in his hands before offering it to Eleanor, eyes cast downward./p  
p"This is the, uh, address where Thomas Fitzgerald is currently living."/p  
p"Thomas Fitzgerald?"/p  
p"Uh-huh. I'm sure it's explained in the letter, but Gary Hobson had to enter the Witness Protection Program, and he became Thomas Fitzgerald."/p  
p"You mean...?"/p  
p"Yes. Merry Christmas, Ellie. Your father is alive."/p  
br  
brEND PART 2  
br  
Thank you for reading. I hope you had a wonderful holiday.  



End file.
